A Samurai's Heart and A Ronin's Love
by DarkHeart of Ice
Summary: Slightly AU, What would happen if Keitaro was raised by the Aoyama's even though Grandma Hina and Haruka were still alive but couldn't raise him as a child? KeiMot Chapter 8 up! Back in da Groove!
1. Chapter 1Basketful of Hope

Hey, all, DarkHeart here!! Sorry for being a slack-off for updating my story, but as of right now, I am going to put that one on the back burner. I have a new story I have been thinking about doing. So here it is.  
  
Disclaimer: I do not own Love Hina. Ken Akamatsu and TokyoPop does. I don't even own Kanako, although I still want to marry her. ;)

A Samurai's Heart And A Ronin's Love  
  
Chapter 1  
  
[Scene: God's Cry School--20 Years ago]  
  
It was a dark and stormy night. A sound of knocking was heard at the front gate of the God's Cry School of Kendo. It was also home to the Aoyama Clan, a well-known family for their style of martial arts using swords and mastery of ki. A young swordswoman about the age of ten, clad in the clothing of the God's cry school and armed with a wooden bokken, investigates the disturbance at the front gate. She opens the gate with her bokken at the ready and uses her mastery of ki to locate a possible intruder. Having found nobody around, she was about to go back inside when she hears a sound of a baby crying. She looks down, and sure enough, there was a basket sitting on the front gate area with a baby inside. She quickly takes the basket with the baby inside of it to her mother, whom is also the Headmistress of the God's Cry School.  
  
"Mother, Mother, Please awaken yourself !!" the young swordswoman cried in a distressed voice. At once, Lady Aoyama arose to the sound of her daughter. "What is it, Tsuruko-chan?" Lady Aoyama asked her. "I went to check out the disturbance at the front door and found no one," Tsuruko explained, "but as I was about to leave, I found this." She presented the basket to her mother with the baby inside. "Oh Kami," Lady Aoyama exclaimed, "who in their right mind would abandon such a darling little boy on our doorstep in the middle of a bad night such as this?" While picking the young boy up, Lady Aoyama saw an envelope float down to the floor. Tsuruko also saw the note fall, so she bent over and picked it up.  
  
"Tsuruko-chan," Lady Aoyama said, "Would you be a dear and read me that note while I try to calm the young one?" "Hai," Tsuruko replied. "This is what it says:"  
  
Lady Aoyama of the God's Cry School, if you are reading this letter, then my prayers are answered. Allow me to introduce myself. My name is Urashima Hina. The baby inside this basket is my grandson, Urashima Keitaro. He is a very gifted baby, but that gift comes with a very bad price. For you see, when he was born, we felt something special radiating within him. He has an unbelievably strong ki force in him, but he had no control over it. One night, while driving home with his parents from our shrine in Hinata, his ki somehow surged out of control, causing their car to crash. It killed both parents but he survived intact, with not even a scratch on him. His only living relatives are myself and his aunt, who is only 8 years old right now. Neither of us are able to take care of him at this time, so we turn to you. We humbly ask that you watch over Keitaro and train him in the arts of the God's Cry School. With your teaching and guidance, he will be able to control his ki and not be a danger to himself or others.  
  
Thank you from the bottom of my Heart, Urashima Hina  
  
PS: Please feel free to bring him over to Hinata-Sou when you think the time is right. I would love to be able to meet my grandson again, just to let him know that his aunt and I still love him and are always thinking about him.  
  
Lady Aoyama thought on this for a moment. Then she said, "Tsuruko, when this child called Keitaro starts to get older, it will be your responsibility to train him in our ways. Is that understood?" Tsuruko nodded. Her mother went on, "Also, my child, treat him with love and care if he were your real brother." "Hai, mother," Tsuruko replied. "I have always wanted a younger brother or sister to take care of." Lady Aoyama smiled and said, "Thank you, Tsuruko-chan. Now let's get young Keitaro put to bed, for we start training in the morning." "Hai, Sensei."  
  
[Scene: Hinata-Sou 15 Years ago]  
  
Fifteen year old Aoyama Tsuruko and a young boy, both dressed in the gi and hakagama (AN: Sorry, I may have spelled it wrong, If I did, let me know) of the God's Cry School, are walking up the stairs to the Hinata-Sou. "Tsuruko-neesan, what are we doing here?" The little boy asked. "The reason that we are here, Keitaro-Kun, is so that you can meet your grandmother and your aunt," replied Tsuruko. "But I thought Aoyama-sama was gonna come with us, Tsuruko-neesan," Keitaro said. But then he remembered that Aoyama-sama was busy back at the school with the new baby, Motoko. "I remember now why she can't come. So, Tsuruko-neesan, do you know much about my grandma and my aunt?" Tsuruko turned to the little boy, smiled, and said, "Yes I do, Keitaro-Kun. I have met them on several occasions, whether it was during my training missions or martial arts conventions. Your aunt is a skilled fighter, it must run in the family. If you keep up your training, you might just be able to surpass even me."  
  
Keitaro just blushed and thanked Tsuruko for the compliment as they reached the front doors of the Hinata-Sou. Sure enough, Haruka and Grandma Hina were waiting for them, but they were not alone. Behind both of them there were two girls, one approximately Keitaro's age and the other about 2 1/2 years old. Keitaro bowed himself to his relatives and the girls. "Konichiwa, my name is Urashima Keitaro, student of the God's Cry School, and I am pleased to make your aquaintance." He bowed again before running to his grandmother and aunt, who welcomed him with open arms. Tsuruko smiled at the warm greeting Keitaro was getting from his only relatives. She looked at the two little girls and had a feeling that somehow they were going to be a big influence on his life later on.  
  
After Grandma Hina finished hugging her only grandson, she then introduced the two girls. "Keitaro, I would like to introduce you to our guests here at Hinata-Sou. The older girl is Ohitome Mutsumi, and the younger one is Narusegawa Naru." Keitaro then bowed to the girls and said, "Pleased to meet you, Mutsumi-chan and Naru-chan, I am Urashima Keitaro, student of the God's Cry School, and the grandson of Urashima Hina." "Nice to meet ya, Kei-kun," Mutsumi said, "but it's okay to call me Mu-chan, and you can call her Na-chan." Na-chan then pulled on Keitaro's clothes and said, "Kei-kun, wanna pway in sandbox?" Keitaro just smiled, played with her hair and told her yes.  
  
As the kids ran off to play, Tsuruko, Grandma Hina, and Haruka were having a discussion. "Tsuruko-san," Grandma Hina started, "thank you and Lady Aoyama for watching over Keitaro. We can see that he has been training well. We don't know how we can repay you." Tsuruko smiled and said, "There's no need for that, Hina-san. And you were right, he is a special child. We would like to still train him in our ways so that he may be able to use his ki to the fullest extent that can be used." Hina turned to Haruka who just nodded her head and then said, "Agreed. But would it be okay for him to stay with us from time to time so he would be used to us as family?" Tsuruko thought on this and gave her OK. Just then, a sad looking Keitaro came up to Tsuruko.  
  
"Tsuruko-neesan," Keitaro said, "I heard from Na-chan that she's real sick. I was wondering that, since I don't know how to heal people yet, could I show her one of our special techniques in order to cheer her up?" Tsuruko looked at Keitaro and said, "I have a feeling I know which one you want to use, but I still must ask in order that it won't be one that can hurt the girls. Which technique do you want to use?" Keitaro said, "The Cherry Blossom Dance." "Sure you can, Keitaro-Kun, just make sure to be careful with it." He smiled the brightest smile anyone had ever seen before running back to the other girls.  
  
A few weeks had passed and then it was time for Tsuruko and Keitaro to get back to the school training grounds. They said their farewells and turned to leave, and at that moment, both girls came up to Keitaro and hugged him. They both said, "Thank you for playing with us, Kei-kun. We loved every minute of it. Don't forget us." Keitaro blushed and then did something he didn't expect to do. He kissed both of the girls on the cheek and said, "The same goes for you guys as well." He then bowed to everyone and managed to catch up to Tsuruko. She chuckled and said, "Looks like you have some girlfriends now, Keitaro-Kun." Keitaro blushed deeper and said, "No, they are just good friends. I honestly hope they will remember me later on in life if we ever meet them again." He then said in a normal voice, "Let's go home, Tsuruko-neesan, I want to train some more. I also want to see baby Motoko-chan. I want to be able to feel her with my ki." "Very well, Keitaro-Kun, but we will train on the way there, is that acceptable?" Tsuruko asked.  
  
"Hai, Tsuruko-Sensei," Keitaro replied. And with that, they started to run back to the God's Cry School in Kyoto, even if it did take a day to get there by foot.  
  
And so ends the first chapter of my new story. The first two chapters are just build up to the present day when Keitaro takes over as Kanrinin of the Hinata-Sou. Pairing is going to be Kei/Mot for this one(If you couldn't tell by the name of the story, lol). Anywho, Please read and review.  
  
Thanx, DarkHeart =) 


	2. Chapter 2Heartbreak in Training

Hey, yall, DarkHeart here with Chapter 2 of my new story. And I must start off by thanking those that have already responded to my story. With your help and critiques/advice, you will help me turn this story into the most exciting one to date. And on that note, I shall respond to all that have reviewed so far.  
  
To Keitaro Motoko: Thank you for being the first to review. I too have read your work, and I must say I like it. Hopefully you can come up with some more stories.  
  
To Vampire: Thanks for your support on both these stories. Fortunately, I will finish my first story, it's just that this story hit me like a bolt out of the blue, with a little help from the weather, lol. Unfortunately, I am still going to marry Kanako, so ya might just have to move on. I think Su is still available...  
  
To HinaGuy: Thanks for reviewing my story. I like a few AU stories myself. I unfortunately haven't had a chance to read your story yet, being busy with work and all. Gomen.  
  
To tsaiaric: Thank you for helping me with that spelling. I just wasn't quite sure how to spell it. Also, If you could help me by pointing out said errors, even if by email, I would appreciate it. Then I would be glad to fix it.

To M. Blade: Dude, you are a very good writer. I even have your Child of The Crimson Moon in my favorite stories category. I also hope you get the chance to update the Bloodstained Heritage Story. It is very intriguing to say the least.  
  
And without further ado, Chapter 2.  
  
Disclaimer: If I said it once, I said it a thousand times, I don't Own Love Hina, Ken Akamatsu and TokyoPop does.  
  
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A Samurai's Heart and A Ronin's Love  
  
Chapter 2  
  
[God's Cry School, Ten years ago]  
  
Eleven year old Urashima Keitaro was wandering around the God's Cry School grounds to make his way to the spot where he always goes to for his morning meditation session. It was near the waterfalls where he could overlook them and watch the sunrise. As soon as he found his spot, he knelt down, took his sheathed sword and held it horizontally, and began meditating. Almost fifteen minutes in his session, he felt that he was not alone. Recognizing their ki signature, he just smiled as he continued. A young voice cried out, "Split Rock Maneuver!" Keitaro easily rolled out of the way as the intended attack sailed past him and into the waterfall.  
  
"Very good, Motoko-chan," Keitaro chuckled. "You are improving. If I had not felt it coming five seconds before you attacked, I probably would have been hit with it." The young girl looked up to her teacher with a happy look in her eyes. "Do you really mean it, Keitaro-sensei?" Motoko asked in a pleased voice. "Yes I do, Motoko-chan," replied Keitaro. He then frowned and his eyes started glowing yellow. "But that is where your problem is. To have an advantage in battle, one must not reveal their ki level the instant they strike. And now as your punishment for forgetting that lesson your sister and I have been training you in, you will run ten laps around the grounds, performing your katas, while dodging my attacks!! Now start running!!"  
  
While she was in the middle of her punishment, Motoko had been thinking about a lot of things. First of all was the fact that her sensei was a man whereas the other sensei's and students were female. Second, why did she feel more calm around him when he trained her while around the other trainers(including her sister Tsuruko) she felt so nervous? And Third, when she tried to feel his ki level, she felt overwhelmed by just the sheer imensity of it overflowing, but it felt happy. Moreso around her than when he was around anyone else. Why was that? "Boulder Cutting Blade!" Motoko quickly regained her thoughts while narrowly dodging that attack. "Your thoughts are clouding your training punishment, Motoko-chan. For that, two more laps will be added!! Understood??" "Hai, Keitaro- sensei," Motoko replied. All in all, she thought, she was glad he was here, because she loved him like a brother, punishments and all. SHe hoped he would never leave.  
  
[God's Cry School, Six years ago}  
  
It was dinnertime, and the Aoyama family(Lady Aoyama, Tsuruko, and Motoko) and Keitaro were assembled at the main table. Lady Aoyama turned to the fifteen year old Keitaro and said, "Keitaro, you have been with us for over sixteen years. We have taught you everything you know, and you have mastered all the techniques we use. We cannot teach you anymore, so we decided that it is time for you to leave us and go on a training journey of self-discovery. We also feel that your education should not just stop here, but must be furthered in the outside world."  
  
While listening to what her mother said, ten year old Motoko couldn't believe that Keitaro was going to leave. She didn't want her big brother to leave, even if he was adopted to the family. He always treated her fairly and just, and loved her very much. So why was he going away? She then got up from the table, turned to Keitaro, and with tears in her eyed said, "I Hate you, Keitaro-Sensei!! I hate you! I hate all men now!!" She then ran off to her room where she cried herself to sleep.  
  
The next day was the day that Keitaro was to leave the school. Before he left, he wanted to go back to his meditation spot for one last time. As soon as he got there, his ki picked up the presense of someone there. He recognised it as Motoko and sat down beside her without giving himself away. He could hear her sobbing and felt a pain in his heart. He then decided to let her know he was next to her. "Hello, Motoko-chan." She suddenly jumped up when she heard his voice. "Wh-what are you doing here, Urashima-san? I thought you were going to leave." Motoko said. Hearing her call him by his last name hurt him deeply, but he decided to continue. "Motoko-chan," he started, "please don't be mad at me. What Aoyama-sama said is true. I have learned all there is to know here, and it is time for me to go. But I do want you to know, I will never forget you. You and I are bound together by the red string of fate. Always know, whereever we go in life, I will still love you. Believe that."  
  
He then got up and was about to go when Motoko came over and gave him a big bear hug. "Promise me you won't forget me, Keitaro-Kun," she cried. He smiled, backed up a bit from her, and performed a move that she had never been able to learn. "Cherry Blossom Dance!" Keitaro cried out before sending a ki energy ball in the air. He then jumped up in the air and sliced through the energy ball several times, making it disperse into little bits of light, looking like cherry blossom leaves from a festival. Motoko gasped in awe while Keitaro said, "This is my promise to you that we will meet again. Good-bye, Motoko-chan."  
  
The next six years of Keitaro's life had been very eventful. He travelled all over the world training at different dojos while also getting an education. He had been several awards, both for his academic achievments and his martial arts studies. After he graduated high school, he decided to become a ronin so he could go to Tokyo University. After all, his teachers had told him that Tokyo U(Or Todai as it was also affectionately called) was the best learning facility ever in all of Japan. His martial arts senseis also remarked at how good Todai's dojo was the best for all types of martial arts, including Kendo. And it was at that moment he received a message for him to come to the Hinata-Sou to see his grandmother. He left immediately and made his way back to where his original family lived. Little did he know his life was about to change drastically.  
  
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And there you have it, Chapter two in the can. A little side note, If you didn't figure it out by now, the first two chapters were and are background info leading up to the present time. What can I say, I love background info, Just like Kitsune, only to build up my story instead of blackmailing people for Sake money =P  
  
And as always I like to say: Don't Get Eliminated!! Whoops, wrong show. I meant Please Read and Review!!  
  
Thanx, DarkHeart =)


	3. Chapter 3 HinataSou Reunion

Hey, ya'll, DarkHeart Returns!! My God, twenty-two reviews in just about three days! I feel so honored that you all enjoy this little story. And just for that, Chapter 3 now starts. Please forgive me if this one seems short as well, I haven't been feeling good all this week, so please bear with me. One quick note, though, Kanako unfortunately won't be in this story at all(sob, sob), basically since both Urashima's parents were killed when Keitaro was a baby, so no way of her being adopted by either parent. But other than that, HERE WE GO!!  
  
Disclaimer: Ken Akamatsu owns the Rights to Love Hina. I own a copy of Budokai 2 for the PS2.  
  
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A Samurai's Heart and A Ronin's Love  
  
Chapter 3  
  
{Cafe Hinata, Present Day)  
  
It was a cold and dreary day in the little city of Hinata. A lone figure clad in a white gi and red hakama was seen making their way to a little store known as "Cafe Hinata". From a distance, this person looked like a resident at the former inn known as the Hinata-Sou. But if you got close enough, you could tell that ths certain person was male. He carried with him a backpack full of clothes, different types of books, and a sword sheathed in a scabbord with a cherry blossom design on it. He entered the cafe to rest, weary from his travels around the world. As he sat down with a cup of tea a waitress brought to him, he began to think on the message he received from his grandmother.  
  
Just then, a loud crash and a gasp was heard from the kitchen area. Using his ki senses, he could tell that someone was trying to rob the store. Quickly, he grabbed his sword and made his way to the kitchen area. Luckily there was no customers at the time, or else they would think he was an accomplice. Upon arriving on the scene, he spotted the robber holding the waitress against him. He saw a slightly older woman slumped down on the floor, in a semi-concious state. Enraged, he drew out his sword and yelled at the so-called robber. "Let the woman go, you vile excuse of a human, and face me, if you think you can win." The robber, startled by the swordsman, released the young lady and went for his gun. Unforturnately for him, the swordsman made his attack at what seemed to any normal human look like the speed of light. Not only was the gun destroyed, but the force of the attack knocked the robber out cold.  
  
The swordsman then sheathed his sword and said, "I hate losers like that. Using guns to commit crimes is a cowardly act, and such people will feel no mercy from me." He then went to check on the two women to see if they were hurt in any way. The waitress, who was pretty much still shaken up by the incedent, looked okay. The older lady that was sprawled out on the floor, was starting to come to. "Are you okay, miss?" the swordsman asked. The woman shook her head to get the cobwebs out from being pistol- whipped by the crook. "I'm going to be feeling that tomorrow," she said. She suddenly realised who the voice belonged to. "Kei-Keitaro, is that you?"  
  
Stunned to hear his name, Keitaro replied, "Yes, My name is Keitaro, but who..." He suddenly recognized the outfit the woman was wearing. It still hasn't changed from since the first time he saw it fifteen years ago. "Aunt Haruka, is that you?" He managed to pull his aunt up from the floor and sat down with her at a nearby table. "Oh my God, I can't believe it's you, Nephew," Haruka said. She then leaned over as if she was going to hug Keitaro, when...  
  
THWACK  
  
"It's just Haruka-San, Nephew," Haruka replied, putting away her paper fan. "But I'm glad to see you. That robber got the drop on me and knocked me out before I could do anything. But thankfully you managed to stop him from hurting my waitress." She then turned her focus back on Keitaro. "By the way, what brings you here to Hinata?"  
  
Keitaro pulled out the message he received from the last dojo he graduated from and showed it to her. "Grandma Hina sent me this message for me to come back and see her. So after I finished what I was doing in America, I came back here. Do you know where she is?" Haruka shook her head and and said, "Sorry, Nephew, but she left a year ago to do a sight- seeing tour around the world. She does send faxes however to tell us she's okay. Listen, why don't you go up to Hinata-Sou while I take care of the crook. I'll be there shortly, then we can catch up. Okay?"  
  
Keitaro nodded, smiled, and said, "Okay, Haruka-san, but be careful. I don't want to have to hear that you got attacked by another lowlife scum. See you later!" He then got up and left the cafe. The waitress watched him leave and said, "My, what a nice gentleman, and handsome too." Haruka just shrugged and said, "Yeah, but he had better be careful while waiting for me at the Hinata-Sou. I forgot to tell him that Granny turned it into an all-female's dorm." She then turned to the lump on the floor that was the robber. "But first things first..."  
  
Meanwhile, Keitaro made his way to the bottom stepway that led up to the Hinata-Sou when he came to a bench. He decided to sit down and do some sketching of the surrounding area. His favorite pasttime(Other than Training and meditating) was drawing. He was about to start when all of a sudden he heard the sound of light sobbing. He turned his head and saw a young girl, maybe about twelve or thirteen years old, with short hair with a blue hue. He could tell she was upset about something, but he didn't want to pry. So he decided to sketch her face. He had it almost completed when he looked at her again. He didn't like seeing a person upset, even if he hadn't met them before. So instead of a sad look, he decided to draw a smile on the picture. Just then, a gust of wind picked up the sketchpad and it landed on the girl's lap. She looked at the picture of herself smiling, and saw the swordsman sitting next to her.  
  
She looked at him with tears in her eyes and said, "Why?" Keitaro appologized and said, "I'm sorry if I offended you, I meant no disrespect. It's just that you are too beautiful to be looking so sad. I don't know why you are sad because it is no business of mine. But you should smile more, and look on the brighter side of life. Life is just too short to be sad all the time, so cheer up, be happy, and smile." She thought on these words, and then she slightly gave a smile. "Thank you, sir, for trying to make me feel better. I appreciate it."  
  
Keitaro smiled and said, "No thanks are necessary, young maiden. It is my job to make beautiful ladies such as yourself happy. Now if you will excuse me, I must go." And with that, he got up and bounded up the stairs, leaving behind his sketchbook. The young girl noticed it and picked it up. She looked at her picture once again, and held it close to her chest. She tried to catch him, but he was too fast. She then gave up and decided to go to her new place of residence, whice would inevitably be the same place Keitaro was heading for.  
  
Keitaro finally made his way up the staircase and was standing in front of the Hinata-Sou. He knocked on the front door to see if anyone was there. Hearing nobody answer, he tried the handle, and to his surprise, the door opened. He cautiously made his way inside, his sword at the ready to be drawn in case there was a burglar on the premises. Feeling no dark ki around, he slowly relaxed his guard. He then made his way to the landlord's room, since Granny Hina is supposedly the current landlord. He knocked on the door to be on the safe side, but sure enough, nobody was in there. He opened the door and set his stuff down. He was about to meditate, but a quick whiff told him that he was overdue for a bath. He remembered that this place had a hotspring, so he decided to bathe first and meditate second. Clad in a pair of swimtrunks, he made his way into the hotspring, sinking below the water, and letting the heat relax his muscles.  
  
Just then, he heard the door to the hotspring being opened, and to his surprise, a girl with long, auburn colored hair, clad only in a towel, enter the onsen. Quickly thinking, he jumped out of the water and landed on the balcony that coincidentally led into the landlord's room. Outside in the onsen, the girl with the long hair shouted out, "There's a PERVERT here!! Kitsune, Quick!! Help me find that Pervert so we can teach him a lesson!!" After hearing that, Keitaro quickly got dressed, grabbed his sword, and tried to make a break for it. While quickly exiting the landlord's room, he ran into a girl about his age with short hair, slit eyes, and smelled like Sake. He then got away from her and yelled, "Sorry about that!!" The woman thought to herself, _Hey, what's a cute guy doing here in Granny's room? Wait a minute, this must be the pervert Naru was yelling about!!_ She was about to give chase when Naru came flying around the corner, still in her towel, almost bowling Kitsune over.  
  
"Sorry, Kitsune," Naru said while picking her friend up. "I was chasing that pervert. Did you see which way he went." Kitsune, living up to her namesake, responded mischievously, "Pervert? Are you sure it wasn't the Male Exotic Dancer you hired for us??" Naru nearly face-faulted. "What the Hell have you been smoking, Kitsune? That guy is a pervert!! He was in the hotsprings when I came in!! And If that isn't a perverted act, then I will start drinking Sake with you!!" Kitsune replied, "Geeze, Naru, take a chill pill, hun. I'll help you find him. He went this way." The two girls went the direction Kitsune pointed in and started their pursuit.  
  
All of the ruckus being heard throughout the halls of the Hinata-Sou started to disturb a young girl of about thirteen years old from her current project. At first look she seemed to be a person from India, but nobody really knew where she was from. She opened her door and saw a man running for his life. A few seconds later she saw Naru and Kitsune running right behind him. "Heyas, Naru and Kitsune, Whatcha doin'?" Naru kept running while Kitsune stopped and greeted the young girl. "Oh, Hello, Su, we're just chasing a pervert." Su looked confused and asked, "What's a pervert? Is it something good to eat??" Kitsune, really wanting to say the comment she was thinking, pushed it out of her mind and said, "No, Su, but we really need your help. See, this guy wants to play, but Naru doesn't want to play with him." Su brightened up and said, "Kewlies!! I just might get me a new playmate! I is so Happy!!" Su ended up joining Kitsune and Naru to find this 'playmate'.  
  
A few minutes later the three girls had Keitaro trapped in the main living room and were about to attack, when Haruka decides to show up and intervene. "Hold on there, girls, Don't you lay a hand on my nephew." The girls stopped at hearing this revelation and their jaws just dropped. Naru was the first one to recover and yelled, "This pervert is your nephew??" Haruka just scowled at Naru and said, "Yes, he's my nephew, plus he saved me and my waitress earlier today from being robbed." Upon hearing this, the girls got a little upset. "You were robbed, Haruka?" Kitsune said. "Oh my God, thank goodness you both are alright!! But how did this guy save you?"  
  
Haruka sighed and told them the story, while Keitaro managed to sit down on one of the sofas. After hearing Haruka's story, Kitsune and Naru turned to Keitaro and appologized. Keitaro stood up, bowed, and said, "Thank you, but it is I who should be appologizing to you, miss. I got so caught up in relaxing in the hotsprings that I didn't feel your presence." Naru thought, what does he mean by feeling my presence? The only one I know of that says they can feel my presence is out on a trip, but should be returning today. She shook her train of thought off while he continued to speak. "By the way, allow me to formally introduce myself. My name is Urashima Keitaro, faithful graduate of the God's Cry School, grandson to Urashima Hina, and nephew to Urashima Haruka. Pleased to make your aquaintance. And you are?"  
  
Kitsune was marveled at the display of manners Keitaro was displaying, and thought it would be fun to mess with this guy. She said, "Howdy, Keitaro, I'm Konno Mitsune, but everyone around here call me Kitsune. This here is Narusegawa Naru, and the young'un over there is Kaolla Su. But be careful around her, she's, how shall we say....excitable." Su just jumps up on his shoulders and says, "Heyas, Keitaro, wanna play with me??" Keitaro just sweatdrops and said, "Maybe later." Su then jumped down from his shoulders and said, "Okies!!" She then runs around the room like an airplane.  
  
Meanwhile, making her way to the Hinata-sou, a sixteen year-old junior high schoolgirl and two of her closest friends from the Kendo club were talking. After they made it to the point where they had to go their separate ways, the sixteen year old made her way up the staircase to the Hinata-Sou. She said to herself, "I can't wait to get back home. I have so much to talk about with Naru-sempai and Shinobu-chan. I hope Su didn't have any nightmares while I was gone." She then sniffed the air, and all of a sudden pulled out her sword she had with her in her pack. "There is a man here, and he is probably a pervert. If I find him, I shall smite him where he stands." She then rushes up the stairs in order to get the drop on the so called male.  
  
A few minutes before the girl with the sword breaks into the conversation that is already going on, Keitaro suddenly stiffens, unbeknownst to the others. His ki picks up a familiar signature that he hasn't felt in over six years. He also sees on his finger a red string that only true masters can see and readily identify it as the string of fate. Just then, the front doors burst open and a girl with a sword drawn is ready to attack him. "Vile, Perverted Male! How dare you invade the sanctity of this Dormatory for Girls! ROCK SPLIT TECHNIQUE!!" Keitaro took out his blade and spun it around like a propeller, easily dispersing the ki attack so it would be harmless. "How many times have I told you to hide your ki level before you attack," Keitaro said after quickly sheathing his sword, "Motoko-Chan??"  
  
"How dare you call me by that Honorific!! There is only one man that I allowed in my life to call me that, and that was..." She then stopped suddenly, recognizing that voice and the lesson that was reminded to her from her past. She then saw his face, and then suddenly teared up. Keitaro said, "Who was the man who called you that, Motoko-Chan?" Motoko looked up at him with tears streaming down her face. "Kei-Keitaro- Sensei??"  
  
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And so ends Chapter 3. I hope you all are enjoying reading this as I am writing. The next chapter may come up in a few days from now, basically because ol my work schedule, but fear not. I will update as soon as possible. And as always, Read and Review!!  
  
Thanx--DarkHeart =P 


	4. Chapter 4 Acceptance or Denial?

Hey, all, DarkHeart back again!! I just want to take this moment to thank each and everyone of you that has read my story. I must admit, I too suffer from Typo Fairy Syndrome, so if some words are misspelled, you can thank the typo fairy for that. I also want to thank M. Blade for finally updating his "Bloodstained Heritage" story. It is really getting interesting. I hope you keep it up, dude. Anywho....time to get back to what you really want, people, Chapter 4!!  
  
Disclaimer: Love Hina belongs to Ken Akamatsu and TokyoPop. This bag of Doritos belongs to me. And since Ken won't share with me, I won't share with him!! HAHAHAHAHA!!  
  
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A Samurai's Heart and A Ronin's Love  
  
Chapter 4  
  
At the sound of Keitaro being referred to as 'sensei' by Motoko, the other girls' jaws just dropped way below the basement. Su asked, "What's a 'sensei'? Is it something good to eat?" Everyone just face-faulted at that statement. Naru recovered quickly and said to Su, "No, Su, a 'sensei' is a person that teaches things." Su, who was still confused, said, "So I can't eat this Keitaro-sensei person??" Everyone in the Hinata-sou collectively shouted, "NO!!" Keitaro quickly backed away from the foreign girl and then turned his attention to Motoko. He walked over to her and gave her a great bear hug. "It's so good to see you again, Motoko-Chan," Keitero said. "It seems like forever since I saw you last. How have you been?"  
  
Motoko, completely surprised after seeing her mentor after six years, was for once at a loss for words. After gathering her thoughts together, she stammered out, "I-I've been doing fine, K-Keitaro-Sensei. I have been named successor to the 'God's Cry School'." Keitaro said, "Is that so? But I thought Tsuruko-san was the next in line. Why did they name you when it should have been her??" Motoko frowned. "Because Oneesan got married about a year and a half later after you left. But I am not ready to take on such a big responsibility such as this. So they sent me here to finish my education and to train."  
  
Keitaro took all this in and started thinking. He finally said, "Even though I am happy that Tsuruko is married, I don't see why they would automatically name you as successor at such a young age. Maybe I am just naive as some people claim. But in any event, I am glad they let you continue your education."  
  
Just then, a young girl with short hair with a blue hue entered the Hinata-Sou. "Hi, everyone, I'm back," she said. Everyone then turned their attention toward her. They(with the exception of Keitaro) all gathered around her and said, "Welcome back, Shinobu!!" The girl now known as Shinobu thanked each of the girls for their kind reception. Su said, "Now that you're back, can ya fix me something to eat? Especially with bananas??" Shinobu sweatdropped and said, "Sure thing, Su, but let me relax some. After all, that was a long train ride from home to here." Su just smiled and said, "Okies!!"  
  
The other girls brought Shinobu into the living room, where she discovered they had company. "Oh, I'm sorry," she said, "I didn't see you there. My name is Shinobu." Keitaro bowed and said, "Nice to meet you again, Shinobu-san, and I am glad you are still smiling." Shinobu recognized his face as the man who made the sketch of her smiling. "My name is Urashima Keitaro, Proud graduate of the 'God's Cry School', grandson of Urashima Hina, and nephew of Urashima Haruka. Pleased to make your aquaintance." Shinobu, taken in by Keitaro's manners and humbleness, blushed a medium red. She replied, "Th-thank you, Urashima-sempai. May I call you sempai?" Keitaro smiled and said, "If that is what you wish, then by all means."  
  
Shinobu just remembered something and started rooting around in her pack to find something. She found what she was looking for and presented it to Keitaro. "Here, Sempai, you left your sketchbook at the bench." The other girls were looking on, wondering what she meant by that statement. "Thank you, Shinobu-chan, I would have been lost without it." Naru, who was starting to switch into 'punish pervert' mode, started questioning Shinobu. "What's this about a sketchbook and a bench?" Shinobu, knowing all too well what Naru could do depending on what she said next, told her a little story that kind of fudged the actual truth. "I had just came from the train stop," Shinobu started, "when I had to sit down to rest at the bench at the bottom of the staircase. I didn't notice he was sitting right next to me until a slight breeze knocked something out of his hands and it landed on my lap. It ended up being a sketchbook, and on the open page, it showed a picture of me." Naru started to get angrier, and Shinobu caught wind of it. She continued, "Now hold on, Naru-sempai, I am not finished. He appologized profusely to me. He told me that it wasn't meant to be insulting or perverted or something like that. At that time, I was upset about something, but seeing his drawing of me really cheered me up. After a while, we started talking, and after a few minutes he got up and left. But his sketchbook somehow fell out of his pack. I didn't know he was going to be here, or else I would have taken it to Haruka."  
  
After hearing all of this, Naru started to calm down. She then turned to Keitaro and said, "I guess I have misjudged you after all. You seem to know Motoko pretty well, and you have made Shinobu happy. I appologize for my comments earlier." Keitaro smiled and said, "that's quite alright, Narusegawa-san. I can understand your point of view from what happened earlier, and please be assured that it was just a big misunderstanding."  
  
Just then, the phone rang. Haruka, who was pretty much in the background(or at least in this chapter =P), picked up the receiver. "Hello, Hinata-Sou, Urashima Haruka speaking."  
  
"...."  
  
"Granny Hina, is that you?" Everybody froze in place after hearing what Haruka said.  
  
"...."  
  
"Really? Check the fax machine in the landlord's room? Why??"  
  
"...."  
  
"Are you sure he can handle this?"  
  
"...."  
  
"Okay, if you insist. It's your dorm...Oops, I mean, it's his dorm now."  
  
"...."  
  
"Okay, I'll tell them, although I am not sure how the girls will like it."  
  
"...."  
  
"You too, Granny, and have a fun time."  
  
After Haruka hung up, everyone gathered around her with baited breath. She turned to Keitaro and told him to go to the landlord's room and bring down the faxed message Granny Hina had just sent. After a few minutes in the landlord's room, the girls downstairs heard Keitaro scream. "WHAT IN THE PIT OF HADES IS THIS??" He ran down the stairs back to the living room. "Haruka-san, explain this to me. Why do I have the deed of ownership of Hinata-Sou put in my name???" The girls all gasped when they heard this. Haruka explained. "Since Granny Hina is of galavanting around the world, the place needs a landlord. I can't do it on account of my own business. And since you are the only living relative left, she decided to leave it to you."  
  
"WHAT??" Naru screamed. "A man is going to be the landlord of an All- Girl's Dorm? I don't believe it!! What's this world coming to??' Kitsune said, "Alright, we have ourselves a new landlord, and he's a cutie too!" "Kewlies," Su said. "I gets to have a new playmate!!" Shinobu blushed and said, "Oh, I hope you stay, Sempai. I, I would be upset if you turned this down."  
  
Motoko was the last to say anything. Her emotions were conflicting with each other. On one side, having a male being a landlord of an all- girl's dormatory was completely whacked, basically because the said male would most likely do perverted things. But on the other hand, it was Keitaro-sensei, the only man ever in the 'God's Cry School' that she actually respected and loved all those years ago. She finally said, "Although it is not right that a Male be made as landlord of an All-Girl's Dorm, we cannot go against Granny Hina. So I vote he stays." _Oh please, please, say yes, Keitaro-sensei, I've missed you for so long,_ Motoko thought.  
  
After listening to the majority of the girls more or less asking him to stay, he smiled and said, "I would be honored to be your landlord. Thank you all for your votes of confidence. I always have an open door policy. If ever there is a problem you may have, whether with the dorm or personal, feel free to come to me, and I shall do whatever is in my power to fix. That is my promise to you. And, as Haruka-san and Motoko-chan already know, I NEVER break a promise." After hearing that, everyone started cheering, with the exception of Naru. Somehow, this decision is going to come back on us and bite us in our asses.  
  
And from that point, the lives that lived within Hinata-Sou would be changed forever. But would it be for the better, or for the worst??  
  
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And on that note, Chapter 4 is complete. Sorry if it is once again, short. But flying on just 2 hours sleep plus having to wake up at 4 in the morning can really get to a person. Next chapter: the ronin becomes a 'ronin'. And maybe Mutsumi will show up again. Who knows?? =P  
  
As always people, Read and Review!!  
  
Thanx, DarkHeart =P 


	5. Chapter 5 First Day of School

Hey, yall, DarkHeart is once again Back In Action!! Thank you so much for reading my story. What can I say? You have humbled me while also making me proud of myself for this story. I know there may be several slipups in my story, both in spelling and paragraphing. While spelling errors are all part of the ever dreaded Typo Fairy, the paragraphing of actual spoken parts combined with the rest of the paragraph is just how my thinking is. Granted, I am no English major(Hell, I hated English in School). So please bear with me. And on that note, Chapter 5 is a GO!!  
  
Disclaimer: I do not own Love Hina. Ken Akamatsu and TokyoPop does. But my ocean front property in Arizona is still up for sale. Any Takers???  
  
A Samurai's Heart and A Ronin's Love  
  
Chapter 5  
  
[Todai University Prep School]  
  
It was the start of prep school for Keitaro. Although on the outside he looked calm, cool, and collected, on the inside he was excited. _So this is a prep school, he thought. Pretty impressive in size, I must say. I wonder if I can make some new friends here_. Just then, two guys about his age were walking his way. They were talking to each other when they bumped into him.  
  
The taller one spoke up. "Sorry about that, dude. We didn't notice you. Are you okay?"  
  
Keitaro stood up, brushed himself off, and said, "Yeah, I'm fine. I was just so caught up by the sight of this enormous place that I didn't feel your presence until you were almost on top of me. By the way, let me introduce myself. I am Urashima Keitaro." He then extended out his hand.  
  
"I am Haitani," the tall one said, taking Keitaro's hand. "And the short, fat guy over here is Shirai."  
  
Shirai bopped Haitani on the head. "Dammit, Haitani," he said, "stop calling me fat!! Or do you want to try passing the entrance exam on your own this time??"  
  
Keitaro chuckled and said, "I can tell you two are best friends. So you say this is your second time in taking this exam?"  
  
Shirai said, "Yeah. This college is one of the best in all of Japan. The entrance exam alone is extremely hard. We both just missed passing the exam last year, so now we are second year ronins." He then leaned in closer to Keitaro and whispered, "Plus ther are some real hot chicks taking the exam this year." Both he and Haitani gave double thumbs up.  
  
Keitaro just sweatdropped and thought, _Great, the first two guys I try to become friends with and they look like hentais. But at least they might be able to help me understand what to expect_. Just then he picked up a familiar ki signature and turned to find the source. He saw a young female with two braided pigtails and thick glasses. Even though she was clearly trying to disguise herself, Keitaro knew that it was Narusegawa. Shirai and Haitani turned to see what Keitaro was looking at and saw what appeared to them a bookish looking girl.  
  
Haitani said to Keitaro, "That girl makd the highest marks on the national mock exam this year. She's also kind of a bookworm, and stuck up to boot. But, hey, whatever floats your boat..."  
  
Naru, after hearing what Haitani said, was about to go over there and give them a piece of her mind(i. e. the Naru Punch), but a voice sounded in her mind. _Calm down, Narusegawa-san, I'll handle these two guys. You just make sure you get to class on time_. She was stunned. She could have sworn she heard a guy's voice in her mind, and that voice sounded like Keitaro's. She looked and saw that Keitaro was still facing her. He nodded his head and made a 'Go Inside' hand gesture, unknown and unseen byt Shirai and Haitani. She seemed confused, but did what Keitaro motioned for her to do.  
  
Keitaro then turned toward the two guys. "Well guys," he said, "it's time we parted ways, at least for today. But hopefully our paths will cross again." He started to walk to his designated classroom but suddenly stopped. He turned back toward the two, and with his eyes glowing, said, "And lay off the perverted thoughts. You might just live longer." He then smiled and continued on his way.  
  
"Haitani?" Shirai said. "I really don't think we should try to tick this guy off."  
  
"You may be right, Shirai," Haitani replied. "But still, he seems to be a nice guy. And who knows? Maybe with him around us, we might actually score some chicks!!"  
  
Keitaro unexpectedly sweatdropped, though he didn't know why. He just shrugged it off and proceeded to his designated seat.  
  
[Todai University Prep School: SIx hours later}  
  
Keitaro grabbed his belongings and was about to leave the classroom when he felt a tug on his shirt sleeve. He knew already it was Narusegawa.  
  
"Yes, Narusegawa-san? How may I help you?" Keitaro said.  
  
"Well," Naru started, "How were you able to talk to me in my mind? Are you telepathic or something? And why did you stop me from giving you guys a one-way trip to the moon??"  
  
Keitaro sighed and said, "Even though we met over a short while ago, I would like to be considered as your friend as I consider you to be mine. And as a friend, I didn't want you to do something that might get you kicked out on just the first day. And as far as the telepathy, I use it only as a form of communication in emergency type situations. And you can rest assured, I don't use it to read minds. It's an invasion of privacy, and I detest that. Now if there are no more questions, shall we head back to Hinata-Sou?"  
  
And with that, the two new ronins left the classroom and walked down the hall. Just then, they ran into a girl with long, dark brown hair. She suddenly collapsed on the floor. Keitaro and Naru dropped everything to see if she was alright. When Keitaro couldn't find a pulse, they tried to get the attention of anyone who was within earshot to help. Just then, the said girl sat up and said, "Oh, my. Did I faint again?"  
  
Keitaro and Naru just face-faulted. Keitaro quickly recovered. "Are you alright, Miss?" he asked.  
  
She replied, "Oh my, yes I believe I am. You see, I suffer from anemia, so I pass out all over the place. I'm sorry if I inconvenienced you by my fainting spell."  
  
Naru said, "Don't worry about it. Do you know where you live? We can escort you there if you have another spell."  
  
She agreed and soon they were on their way to her apartment. It took them awhile to get there because she either ran into things knocking her out or she would have a fainting spell. It was almost dark by the time they got to her front door.  
  
"Oh, my, we're here," the dark brown-haired girl said. "Thank you very much. If it hadn't been for you two, I would have probably ended up in either the hospital or the morgue again." Naru and Keitaro face-faulted again.  
  
Keitaro said, "It's no problem, Miss. By the way, we haven't properly introduced ourselves before. I am Urashima Keitaro, and this is Narusegawa Naru."  
  
"Thank you for your help, Urashima-san and Narusegawa-san. My name is Otohime Mutsumi. Very nice to meet you."  
  
The three all said their good-bye's and Keitaro and Naru headed back toward the Hinata-Sou. Keitaro was deep in thought. _I sure hope that Mutsumi-san will be alright. But why do I get the distinct feeling that I know her from somewhere? Oh, well, can't worry about that right now. I have chores and schoolwork to take care of first._ And with that, they reached their home.  
  
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Yup, I know, Cliffie time again. But don't worry, Next chapter will get into the meat of Motoko's feelings for our good ole ronin, Keitaro. So until next time...DON'T GET ELIMINATED!!  
  
PS: Read and Review!! Thanx--DarkHeart =P 


	6. Chapter 6 Of Demons and Destiny

Hey, yall, I am back once again with my new chapter. First of all, I can't even begin to express my gratitude to all of those that reviewed my story. Thank you from the bottom of my Dark Heart. But before I start my new chapter, I would like to comment on some of the reviews. First, since this IS an AU, the original promise never existed. The only promise made at the sandbox was that neither Mutsumi, Naru, nor Keitaro ever forget each of them. So that's why in the last chapter Keitaro said he felt like he knew Mutsumi from somewhere. Secondly, all I have are the english translated Mangas from TokyoPop. And that is what I am using my basic notes from. And finally, for the background of remembering the two girls, yeah, my last reviewer does have a point, but the way I am writing it, Keitaro may have an undescribable amount of ki within him, but at that age point, I made it so he wasn't trained to recognize ki signatures yet until Tsuruko and Keitaro went back to see baby Motoko. Eh, call it a lack of training on Tsuruko's part if you must. But enough about this. Time to get to what you all really want--Chapter 6!!  
  
Disclaimer: I do not own Love Hina. That couresy belongs to Ken Akamatsu and TokyoPop. I do own several lighthouses(or at least figurines of said light house) =P  
  
A Samurai's Heart and A Ronin's Love  
  
Chapter 6  
  
Keitaro and Naru had just left Mutsumi's apartment and were walking toward Hinata-Sou when they spotted three girls in front of them. They looked like sophomores and juniors from high school. The one in the middle seemed to be the leader of the group, due to the fact that the other two were talking to her with the utmost respect. Keitaro and Naru then recognized her as their friend Motoko. Naru was about to run up to Motoko to say something when Keitaro suddenly grabbed and stopped her.  
  
"What in the hell do you think you're doing, baka??" a slightly angry Naru yelled.  
  
Keitaro quickly pulled her down and said, "Stay down. There is something not right here. I feel an evil presence lurking about." And just as he said that, three dark figures appeared from a ghostly mist, trapping the three girls. Two of the dark figures grabbed Motoko's friends while the third one stared at her. Motoko had already drawn her bokken and was about to attack when her target hissed out a warning.  
  
"Foolish Mortal!! Take one more step, and your friends are finished." She looks at the captors of her two friends and saw their razor sharp claws ready to slice open her friends' necks. She stops moving but still has her bokken up in an attack stance.  
  
"Ha Ha Ha," the leader said. "It's so much fun to see you God's Cry School fools squirm so much. Now I am going to ask you only once. Where is your sister??"  
  
"Why should I answer you, foul demon?" Motoko spat. "You haven't even told me your name. That way I will know who it was that I sent to hell today."  
  
The demon laughed at her and said, "Perhaps I should tell you my name, although the chances of you beating me are slim to none. Very well. I am Akita-Daimou, the Fox Demon King. And your sister and I have some unfinished business. But I grow weary of this, so I think I shall have some fun by having your friends killed. Now don't you think that sounds like fun?? HAHAHAHAHA!!" He then snapped his fingers and waited to hear the sound of flesh ripping.  
  
Nothing happened. He snapped his fingers again. Still nothing. _Damn Shadow demons_, he thought. _They can't do anything right_. He looks over to where the demons should be standing with the supposed lifeless bodies of the two girls. What he sees shocks and terrifies him. Where once stood his two soulless shadow demons now stood two balls of light.  
  
"Where are my Shadow demons!!??" Akita-Daimou bellowed. He then heard a voice that brought instant fear in his black heart, one he feared more than that accursed Aoyama Tsuruko. "Oh, Hell," he muttered. "Not Him."  
  
"Foolish kitsune demon king," The voice rang out. "Having two low level shadow demons attack defenceless girls is a sign of pure cowardice. I, Urashima Keitaro dispatched them easily. Now you shall face the both of us. Prepare yourself for oblivion! EVIL CUTTING SWORD FIRST FORM!!"  
  
The ki blast sent the evil fox demon high in the air. Black blood started spewing from his injuries. As he headed back to the ground, about to make his counter attack, he heard Motoko shout.  
  
"EVIL CUTTING SWORD SECOND FORM!!"  
  
The second ki blast went through the demon's left side, leaving only smoke where his arm and leg once were. The fox demon then started spouting curses at the two God's Cry School masters. "You may defeat me, but mark my words. I will be avenged!! Prepare yourselves!!" He then launched his final attack against them, but they dodged it easily.  
  
"This has been fun," Keitaro said, "but now it is time to end this. Motoko-chan, are you ready?"  
  
"Hai, Keitaro-sensei" Motoko shouted. They stood together and shouted in unison:  
  
"EVIL CUTTING SWORD FINAL STRIKE!!"  
  
They both swung down their weapons in a vertical motion, sending their combined ki blasts straight through the demon. There was nothing left of it but a cloud of smoke and scorched earth the demon was standing on.  
  
After sheathing his sword, Keitaro turned to Motoko and asked, "Motoko-chan, are you alright?"  
  
Motoko sheathed her bokken and said, "Yes, Keitaro-sensei, I am unharmed. And thank you for assisting me. If you hadn't stepped in, my friends most assuredly would have been killed. I must go chek on them, please excuse me." And with that, she went to check on her injured friends.  
  
Keitaro made his way back to where he left Naru. "Sorry about leaving you here, Naruesgawa-san, but I did it for your own protection. I didn't want you to be hurt as well.  
  
Naru just looked up in shock and stuttered, "WH-WH-What the hell just happened??"  
  
Keitaro sighed and said, "I had to stop that demon before he hurt Motoko or the others with her. It's something that I really don't like having to do, fighting in order to kill. But if my friends are in danger, I will fight, even if it means death to the opponent." He then smiled at her. "But enough about this dark talk. I don't know about you, but I am getting hungry. Shall we see if dinner is ready?"  
  
He then started walking toward the Hinata-Sou with Naru right behind him. He was smiling, thinking of what the rest of the day will bring to him, while Naru was deep in thought. _My God, he sure is strong. Stronger than Motoko is. And those attacks were beautiful. But was that thing they were attacking really a demon?? Calm down, Naru, and get ahold of yourself. Demons do not exist...do they?  
_  
[Hinata-Sou: After dinner]  
  
Dinner was finished, and everyone thanked Shinobu for their wondrous meal. Keitaro stayed back and helped wash the dishes. When they were done, Keitaro left to work on his classwork in his room. He had gotten through the first three pages of problems when he heard a knocking on his door.  
  
"Come in, Motoko-chan," Keitaro said. The door slid open and Motoko came in, bringing with her some green tea. Keitaro smiled at her and said, "Please, have a seat."  
  
Motoko sat down across from him and poured out some tea. After handing Keitaro a cup of tea, she said, "Keitaro-sensei, thank you once again for your help. I would have been lost without you."  
  
"No thanks are necessary, Motoko-chan," Keitaro said. "I am proud of you. You did the right thing by not attacking Akita at first. The safety of others is the most important thing to value when in a fight. Sort of like police hostage negotiators. Their responsibility is to make sure the hostages are safe before they can attack the criminal. I am just glad I was their to free your friends." He then frowned. "But what did that demon mean when he said he had 'unfinished business' with Tsuruko?"  
  
Motoko hung her head sadly and said, "I don't know. Only she knows what demons she has either killed or sealed up in a sword. So I couldn't tell you what he meant."  
  
Keitaro thought for a moment on her words and dismissed it later. "Okay, Motoko-chan, thanks. Oh, was there something else you wanted to discuss?  
  
Motoko blushed and nervously said, "Umm, I w-would like it if you would join me in training again, like we did back at home." She could feel her heartbeating a mile a minute.  
  
Keitaro looked at her, smiled, and said, "I would be honored to join you for training, Motoko-chan. How does tomorrow morning at sunrise sound?"  
  
"That seems to be a reasnoable time, Keitaro-sensei," Motoko said. _Yes!! He said yes!! Oh, this is a dream come true. If we keep training, I just might be able to work up the nerve to ask him out for dinner. Oh, I hope, I hope, I hope...  
_  
She then got up to leave. "Thank you for agreeing to train with me, Keitaro-sensei," Motoko said. "Now if you will excuse me, I shall leave you to your studies." She then left.  
  
Keitaro chuckled to himself. "Motoko-chan sure is a sweet girl. I could tell she had a hard time asking me to train with her. Heck, I knew she had a big crush on me since she was a little girl, but I didn't expect it to be this huge after all this time. But I can't help but wonder. Does she like me for my strengths, or does she like me as myself?" He shakes his head to clear his mind. "I'll think about this later. Right now I have this Math to work on..."  
  
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And so ends chapter six. Well, I hope you like it, and I am sorry if it still seems a little short and dry, but hey. I am working on this with a lack of sleep, so please bear with me. And as far as updating this story, it turns out that it might end up being weekly instead of as before. My work schedule changes from week to week. so who knows when my next chapter will be posted. Anyways, like I always say, DON'T GET ELIMINATED!!  
  
PS: Read and review!! Thanx--DarkHeart =P 


	7. Apology

Hey all, DarkHeart here!! I am so very sorry about not updating my story. I have been so busy with work that it just saps all energy from my being. But do not fear. I will upload my next chapter within two days. All I have to do is gather my notes and the chapter will be complete. So please bear with me this week.

Thanx--DarkHeart P

DON'T GET ELIMINATED!!


	8. Chapter 7 Friends and Family

**Hey all, DarkHeart here once again. And like I said before in my apology, I am really sorry for not updating in a while. But now I am back and ready to create. So without further ado, Chapter Seven!! BTW, I would like to thank K and M for the personally sent email. Thank you, my friend, and this chapter will be written in honor of you.**

**Disclaimer: You all know the drill. Ken Akamatsu owns Love Hina, as well as my newest fovorite manga, "Negima". Lucky stiff.....**

**A Samurai's Heart and a Ronin's Love**

**Chapter Seven**

**Hinata-Sou**

** It had been several weeks since Keitaro became the manager of the Hinata-Sou, and already he has gotten to know the residents a little bit better. And if anyone from the outside knew about his situation, they would think that he was the luckiest bastard ever. And Keitaro would have agreed with them, but it wasn't like that in the beginning. First he had to get to know each one of the girls individually. So he decided to start with the oldest resident, Mitsune Konno.**

** Mitsune seems to be a very kind person, even when she's drunk. Keitaro found out that she and Naru have been best friends ever since Mitsune's time in High School. It seems that all she ever does with her life is drink Sake. That, and trying to cause mischief to her friends and playfully seducing Keitaro just to get money for more Sake. The results of said seduction usually backfires, but Keitaro does keep her well stocked in her liquor heaven. But deep down, Keitaro knows that Mitsune really cares for her friends and will do anything to help them.**

** Next is Naru Narusegawa. At first, she and Keitaro didn't get along very well, bacically since she thought of him as a pervert after the Hot Spring incident. But ever since that day with that demon, she started to gain respect for him. She then periodically invited him to study with her and a new aquaintance of theirs, Mutsumi Otohime.**

** Mutsumi Otohime, a native from Okinawa, is more close to Keitaro's age. She is a third year ronin, not because of grades, but because of her illness and all-around forgetfulness. Still, she tries very hard to get accepted to Todai every time despite the circumstances. She has told both Naru and Keitaro that she has a reason for getting in, but hasn't as yet disclosed the details of the reason. So they decide not to pry that information out of her and let her tell them when she's good and ready.**

** Next on the list is Hinata-Sou's resident genius, Kaolla Su. Su is, for lack of words, very energetic and very, very eccentric. She has a real knack for science and technology, most often with disastrous results. But even with that, she is a very sweet person. Keitaro also found out that she really loves to eat bananas and anything curried. She's also very playful, but has a strength that is not measured on any charts. She can usually be found hanging around Motoko when she isn't training.**

** Then there's the newest resident of the Hinata-Sou, Shinobu Maehara. At first, she was very shy around people, especially around Keitaro. But due to the compliments given to her when she cooks for everyone and the help and encouraging words given by Keitaro, she slowly started to break out of her shell of shyness. Ever since then, she started calling Keitaro her Sempai. He doesn't mind. He could also tell that she started to have a crush on him, and he still doesn't mind. In fact, deep down inside, he feels very flattered to be the girl's very first crush.**

** And finally, the one girl that he actually grew up with so long ago, Motoko Aoyama. She is very dedicated to her art of the sword. She has been declared the successor of the God's Cry School. She works so hard to try and impress her family, especially her sister. But now that her former sensei is back in her life, she tries doubly hard. She even went so far as to ask him to train with her in the very early morning time. Keitaro, of course, agreed. He wanted to see how much she has improved over the years. And in his heart, he felt a closeness to her more than he had with anyone else in his life, even his aunt and grandma.**

** And now, Back to the present time.**

**Hinata-Sou: Rooftop--A few minutes before Dawn**

** Keitaro and Motoko, both clad in the God's Cry School gi and hakama, were in deep meditation, and had been in meditation for about a half hour. After that, they both got into their battle stances, their wooden boken swords at the ready. Then they charged each other. Several minutes flew by and each move known to them from the God's Cry School were flung to each other. This kept up until both of their ki reserves were getting low. So they decided to finish this battle with sheer strength. However, this battle ended like all the battles they had when they were younger, Motoko missing a strike and Keitaro capitalizing by legsweeping her and getting his boken at her neck in her prone position.**

** "Surrender, Motoko-chan," Keitaro said, "you have lost."**

** "H-Hai, Sensei," Motoko replied. "I yield. Thank you for sparring with me, Keitaro-sensei. I, I really appreciate it." _My god, _Motoko thought, _he has really improved since I saw him last. I wonder if I will ever be able to defeat him....wait a minute. Why is my heart beating this fast. It's like this every time I am near him. Is it true? Can this be love??_**

** "Motoko-Chan??" Keitaro called out, breaking Motoko's chain of thought.**

** Upon hearing her name called out, Motoko snapped to her senses and responded. "Yes, Keitaro-sensei? What is it?"**

** Keitaro cleared his voice and said, "Well, Motoko-Chan, first things first. You don't need to continually call me Sensei. I think during our training that title will suffice. And quite frankly, as friends, it seems so out of place anywhere else. And secondly, it's about time we get ready for our respective schools, don't you think?"**

** "Hai, Keitaro-Sen...I mean, Keitaro," Motoko replied. "Besides, I am getting a little bit famished. If we hurry, we might just get some breakfast before Su devours it all." And with that, they headed downstairs.**

**Streets of Hinata City--In the afternoon**

** Keitaro had just finished his classes at the prep school and was making his way back to Hinata-Sou. He was thinking about the chores that had to be done, when his sixth sense kicked in. He felt a small chi force that had an aura of being in trouble. He turned around and saw a little girl fallen down in the middle of the crosswalk with the light being a stale green. He managed to get out there before the light started to change colors. He managed to get the girl out of the way and onto the safety of the sidewalk, when all of a sudden, the light turned red. Realizing that he was stuck, he quickly threw up a barrier of ki as protection, scrambling to make his way to his own safety. Unfortunately for him, he was almost in safety's reach, when a truck with the driver asleep behind the wheel came barreling down the road in his direction. _Damn it, _he thought, _I don't have enough time to draw my sword to stop this thing. And even with my barrier in place, this is gonna hurt, a lot._**

** Just as he braced himself for the impact, he heard a very familiar voice call out, "BOULDER CUTTING BLADE!!" Just then, he saw a humongous ki blast slice the truck in half. Fortunately for all that were near the truck(Keitaro and the truck driver included), the attack was so surgically made that the truck wouldn't explode. That same voice then appeared next to Keitaro. "Tell me something, do things like this normally attack people?"**

** Keitaro looked up at the person and saw they were wearing a gi and hakama that only masters of the God's Cry School would don their appearance with. Immediately, Keitaro recognized who that person really was. He said, "Oh Kami, it has been so long since I have seen you last. How have you been--Tsuruko-Neesan??"**

** "Na-nani??" Tsuruko blinked. "How do you know who I am? Only two people call me Tsuruko-Neesan, my sister Motoko and my adopted brother...." She trailed off after she felt the familiar ki signature that belonged to the one person that left the school long ago to pursue his own destiny. "Kei-kun, is that you??"**

** Keitaro smiled one of his heart-melting smiles that he is very well known for, and said, "You've got it, Tsuruko-Neesan. Come, let's go to my new home. I am sure Motoko-chan would be thrilled to see you again. We can even catch up with each other's lives."**

** And with that, they started to make their way back to the Hinata-Sou, both of them talking and laughing with each other, remembering all the good times they had in their youths. But little did they know, they were being followed by someone or something that would impact the lives of everyone at the Hinata-Sou.**

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**And there you have it. What will happen next? Will this new presence(Not Tsuruko, mind you) end up being friend or foe? What will Tsuruko's presence bring to Motoko and Keitaro personally?? Is it going to rain at all today? And where the heck is that waitress with my ice water with lemon?? This and much more will be answered in the next chapter, so stay tuned!!**

**And as I always say, Please Read and Review!!**

**Thanx--DarkHeart P**

**DON'T GET ELIMINATED!!**


	9. Chapter 8 Preparing for the unexpected

**Yo, Dawgs and Dawgettes!! The DarkHeart returns with his newest chapter!! Yo, to kick things off, I really, really am sorry about not updating in quite a while. But now that I am able to use my puter again, I can continue with my story.**

**Disclaimer: I do not own Love Hina. That right belongs to Ken Akamatsu, but if I can convince Su to loan me her Hypno-ray...hey, it could happen :P**

**A Samurai's Heart and a Ronin's Love**

**Chapter 8**

As Keitaro and Tsuruko were making their way back to the Hinata-Sou, a lone figure was following them, trying to stay undetected by the two swordmasters. The two said persons were talking back and forth, catching up on each other's lives. While doing so, they could feel that they were being followed, but they made no body movements that would reveal that fact. While verbally exchanging banter for the sake of outward appearances, they were mentally talking to each other about the new presence.

_Do you feel that, Tsuruko-Neesan?_ Keitaro thought to her. _Ever since the incident with the truck, we have been followed._

_Yes, Kei-kun, I do feel it,_ Tsuruko replied. _It feels like a young child, but has a very strong aura around it. As if it has demonic blood but yet posesses a childlike naivé. Although we shouldn't scare it off, we should still be ready to defend against whatever happens. So let's surprise it by doubling back and come from behind._

_Agreed, Neesan,_ Keitaro thought. _But let's lead it to the Hinata-Sou staircase and out of the eyes of the residents._ And with that, they broke their mental link and continued on conversing as if nothing strange was happening

"So, How have things been going on with you, Tsuruko-Neesan?" Keitaro queried. "Motoko-chan told me you had married. Who was he, and how did you two meet?"

Tsuruko sighed in happiness as she remembers her marriage. "His name is Kojima, and he is the nicest soul I have ever met outside of the family. He was travelling all over, as his family is descended from a well-known samurai family, particularly since that family also had a type of nomadic lifestyle. And when we met, it was love at first sight." She then blushed and added, "Well, it was more or less love at first duel..." She sighs again, but shakes out the memories in order to move on to a different topic. "But enough about me, Kei-kun. What about you?"

Keitaro thought for a bit and said, "Well, after I finished my training in other styles of martial arts in America, I had received a fax from Grandma Hina at my last training grounds. How she got the fax number there I will never know. Anyways, she had asked me to come back to Hinata-Sou. So I left on the first available flight. I got here, but she wasn't around." He then blushed and continued. "After a few...events that shall remain nameless(basically cuz the author is too darn lazy to write a flashback)..."

Just then a loud voice that came from nowhere stated,** Bite me, Keitaro.**

Tsuruko jumped up in fear, extracted her sheathed sword, and said, "What sort of demonic trickery is this!!??"

Keitaro just sighed and said, "Don't worry about the voice. That's just the writer of this fanfic, DarkHeart. He's harmless, so pay him no mind."

The voice then said**, I heard that, Keitaro. Now answer me this: Do you want me to go back in the story and give you back all your clumsiness and none of your skills so that you could get the crap beat out of you again if this were a normal fic??**

Keitaro just shrunk back and squeaked out,"No."

**Good. **The voice then said in glee,** I win, I win, I win!! HAHAHAHAHAHA!**

Tsuruko then resheathed her sword and said, "Well, that was...interesting.

Keitaro then resumed his story: "ANYWAYS...after Haruka-san came up to the dorm, she introduced me to the girls that were already there. Motoko-chan came in a few minutes later, almost mistaking me for a perverted intruder. But as soon as I reminded her of a lesson I taught her before I left the God's Cry School, well let's just say she was more than surprised at seeing me there." He then smiled and said, "I guess it is true that the red string of fate will bring those tied to it back together."

By that time they had reached the bottom of the stairway leading up the hill to the Hinata-Sou. Keitaro opened up the mental link telling Tsuruko it was time to enact the plan. They quickly split up and got into hiding, waiting for their stalker to make their appearance. A couple of minutes had passed, and being seen at the bottom of the stairwell was in fact a young girl, maybe about junior high age. She had gorgeous, long blonde hair, and a pale complexion. She looked around for her "prey", but couldn't find them. Dejected, she turned around and was about to leave, when Keitaro and Tsuruko stepped out of the shadows.

Tsuruko was the first one to speak. "Tell me, little one, why were you following us?"

The girl stammered, "W-well you s-s-see, I was l-looking for..."

Keitaro then looked at her closely and then said, "I remember you! You were that girl that fell in the middle of the crosswalk. I am glad to see you safe."

The girl then turned to Keitaro and then suddenly hugged him, causing both Tsuruko and himself to sweatdrop. "Oh, thank you for saving me, kind sir. No one ever stopped to help me, but you risked your life for mine. I can never repay you for your help. Thank you, thank you, thank you!!" she cried out. She then did something that caused Keitaro to multiple sweatdrop--she sniffed him.

"Um, _ano_," she said. "Please forgive me for asking me this question, but because you have his scent on you, I have to know. Are you my Oniichan?"

Both Keitaro's and Tsuruko's mouths had just touched the ground as they both said simutaneously, **_"NANI??"_**

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**And there you have it. Chapter 8 is in the can. What will happen in the next chapter? Who knows? Only You can prevent forest fires. OOPS, wrong PSA. Oh well, in any event, Read and review. Also, give me ideas as to how this story should go, as long as it can lead to Keitaro and Motoko getting to the alter.**

**Thanx--DarkHeart P**

**DON'T GET ELIMINATED!!**


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